Has anyone gone on hrt primarily for the beauty aspect?

[Namehascahnged]

Hi - ive never had hrt- i sailed through menopause- i feel groggy in the head and low energy but thats it .
my gp has told me that hrt eastrogen is actually good for you . And advises me to try it for protective reasons not symptoms as i am post meno anyway -
that it helps protect the heart
all my friends on it say its v good for your skin too - i note their skin looks good on their bodies and face and their sex life not affected

anyone been on hrt for this sort of benefit ?!
is this true - the heath and beauty benefits? Whats your experience?
id love nore energy- ! And less old looking skin if i am honest!! Am just turned 60 .

Your GP is persuading you to have it? Is that NHS? I feel I need it (for brain fog, lack of focus and motivation) but two GPs have now tried to persuade me I need to try anti-depressants first.

Have to admit, the people I know on it do look very good for their age, so that appeals too.

I don’t think it has any effect on the physical signs of ageing. I’m on HRT, as are most of my friends, and none of us look miraculously younger or fresher!

It did clear up my mid-life rosacea & acne. I had clear skin all my life until my 40s, but then it got really flushed and spotty. HRT zapped it within weeks.

It thickened my hair up and my rosacea improved so it does help. It won't reverse loss of collagen/ sagging though.

LindaPen yes my gp - she is very pro womwn and has a meno clinic .
i do think that women are offered anti depressants as an ‘ easy ‘ solution sometimes- my gp has said she believes that its good for health.
she refered me to the davina documentary on hrt - did you see it-
could that be discussed with yr gp ?
the type she gave me you can buy privately - but yes nhs .

I sweat like a post-gallop horse without extra oestrogen so I dare say my unmedicated state is an unattractive scenario compared to my serene state on HRT.

It was a big part of the appeal for me. Estrogen deficiency makes it difficult for your skin to make its own collagen. I had often noticed a clear change in women's skin around menopause and I wanted to pre-empt this. Actually before I started looking into HRT I had a consultation at a private skin clinic to find out what I could do to keep my skin good as I aged, and was advised SPF, retinol etc plus hormones when I was ready for it. I'd started to get a few hot flushes and my skin had become so dry, it seemed like no moisturiser lasted. My background is in health research so I looked into it and was very satisfied with the health / risk profile of modern HRT. My GP referred me to an NHS gynae and menopause clinic and they recommended oestrogel plus a Mirena to get the minimum dose of progesterone. My hot flushes disappeared, I get less anxiety issues, and my skin is great.
There is a lot of expert guidance out there on menopause and its effect on the skin, and on the effect of estrogen supplements. For instance, this podcast with a dermatologist was helpful. https://www.drlouisenewson.co.uk/027-menopause-and-the-skin-dr-sajjad-rajpar-and-dr-louise-newson/

And this info sheet https://www.balance-menopause.com/menopause-library/skin-changes-during-menopause-factsheet/

My sisters and I have seen no loss in our attractiveness since going through the menopause and not taking HRT.

I actually shocked that a GP would prescribe unnecessary medication given the financial crisis the NHS is in, but not sure if I'm more shocked people would consider taking unnecessary medication. I think k there's 4 woman at work on HRT and to be honest it doesn't seem to be doing anything for them either beauty wise or helping with hot flushes etc.

Surely the point is that HRT isn't unnecessary? Research shows that it helps protect bone density and reduce the risk of heart disease. It's not just for symptoms like hot flushes and brain fog.

I thought you couldn't start hrt over 60 anyway?

Onelifeonly thats what I thought but no longer true

go is concened re my lack of focus amd inattention- i have adhd and the drop in hormones apparently does bot help which is why ive been struggling and accident prone and vauge for the last few years

I've been told by an oncologist not to take HRT due to my mother's breast cancer.

Even if the risk is small I'd rather not take it. I don't feel any different post menopause rather than pre

I think there are no increased health risks as long as you are less then 10 yrs post meno, after that you do get increased risks.

Ive never heard of anybody taking it to improve their looks TBH, normally its to improve their life!
I got to the point where I was so sleep deprived I had to call in sick to work as I couldnt function, its made a massive difference now I can actually sleep (TBF I probably look better too without the big black circles too!).

DivorcedAndDelighted brilliant podcast -thank you !